Per Mertesacker has explained how Arsene Wenger opted to deal with the media backlash following Arsenal's infamous 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.
The former Arsenal defender has opened up on the tactics that the Frenchman opted to use in order to downplay the result after their annihilation at Old Trafford in August 2011.
Mertesacker didn't arrive at the Emirates until three days after the humbking defeat, but the World Cup winner has explained how surprised he was to walk into a dressing room that seemed quite calm, adding that it was a big shock to him given the nature of the score line.
Writing in his new book BFG: Big Friendly German, he said: "There was no feeling of tension, let alone crisis. Any negativity was blocked out — literally — due to the fact that London Colney – Arsenal's training ground – didn't admit fans or members of the press.
"There is no normal interaction between players and people in the streets, which means you're hardly ever confronted with different perspectives, you never get to witness first-hand how much the club means to people, and only rarely do you have to speak to journalists.
"In the long run, preventing the public from gaining any kind of normal access to them doesn't do players any favours. Rather, it creates a vacuum for them to float around in. Living such a cloistered life isn't good for someone's development."
Mertesacker also revealed how players were banned from reading newspapers in the dressing room to protect them from negative comments in the media.
He also cited that the cultures between Arsenal and his old clubs in Germany were completely different, which came as a shock to him.
He added: "At Arsenal, things were completely different. They didn't want everything to be focused on a single player. Instead, they preferred to send someone who might be less interesting to the media."
